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    marye
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    New year, new update. Tell us of your musical adventures in real time!

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  • Oroborous
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    The sound

    Of thick air...

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    The sound

    Of thick air...

  • uncle_tripel
    Joined:
    always...

    ...avoided the NR on recording
    and found very early the highs just got too muted for my ear,

    returning to some more 1978 this week:
    june 4th 1978
    at Campus Stadium, UCSB in Santa Barbara, Ca

    some more friends of the devils? lol...
    ...= the "on stage" harley davidson acceleration into--->NFA

    make LOVE, not war!

    PEACE!
    uncle_tripel

    PS: new avatar = mickey & jerry on 7/4/86 @ Rich Stadium

  • JimInMD
    Joined:
    Noise Reduction and...

    I used Dolby for a brief blink of an eye when I first started copying tapes. Being young and naive, I thought who wants tape noise to come through on the recording, duh.. no brainer, I flipped the Dolby switch on my Nak and hit record. I just want to hear the music, no hiss.

    Very quickly reality set in. Was it Dolby A or Dolby B? Was the source tape recording using Dolby, if so, if you hit Dolby wouldn't it further compress the recording and further alter the sound, you can't play back using Dolby Squared, right? And what do you do in the car, in the boom box (yes.. we were just a few years out of 8 tracks when I started getting tapes). And who really flips or unflips the Dolby switch anyway based on how you think the recording was made. After all, were all these tapes properly notated every step of the way.

    So I quickly gave up on noise reduction, I had a good enough tape deck that I shouldn't be so worried about tape noise. I quit Dolby and never looked back (and never worried about pressing the Dolby button again).

    Just spit balling here, but my prejudices sometimes come to the surface when I hear a Dicks or Daves or Road Trips that sounds a bit muffled and I wonder if the particular Reel or Cassette or Betamax or whatever might have had a Dolby snafu baked in. To be clear, I have no proof this has ever occurred, I just wonder sometimes.

    I should emphasize Jeffrey Norman / David Glasser, etc. have gotten better at their jobs. So if there is any compression or noise reduction used anywhere along the way, they better at making this music sound as good as it possibly can, regardless of the sordid history of the source tapes. Thank you GD, Mockingbird Studios, the good folks and Plangent Processing and all the others that get this music to my front porch. Oh, and thank you tapers too!

  • Oroborous
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    Ooops, forgot

    I can’t say for sure off hand about everyone who recorded Dead and NR, but Betty was known for not using it, and if things are done right, no need.
    Nothing comes for free, so every time you do something, it will effect other things, sometimes negatively…a cost benefit trade off…perhaps just like BITD with high gen cassettes? To Dolby or not to Dolby, that is the question lol
    I always have tried not to do any permanent adjustments/fixes, preferring to try and fix some other way, eq etc, but nothing permanent that you can’t fix yer fix!

    Imho NR etc becomes more of a band aid for when things weren’t able to be right, or to help mask issues beyond repair, i.e., the ravages of time.
    Don’t think I’ve ever used any on a master recording?

    Onto rest of GDM soundtrack this afternoon…

  • 1stshow70878
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    Thx Oro

    So 15 ips or 30 ips would have been impractical for shows I imagine. Expense, changing reels too often, and as these were for listening by the band not studio use, etc. But what about them using noise reduction? I'm guessing no Dolby.
    As an aside, I seldom have my Dolby on when listening to cassettes even though most were recorded with it. Even factory tapes with Dolby seem less muffled without it and I'm not listening at thunderous levels (most of the time) where hiss is an issue.
    Skylabs, a top notch mid-western audio repairer, no longer works on certain categories of equipment: Consoles, quad receivers, linear tracking turntables, automatic turntables, and reel to reels. Just not worth it from a cost perspective for what those machines sell for vs. repair costs. There are still plenty of specialists who will and R-to-Rs are available restored at very reasonable prices but good luck finding pre-recorded tapes (old or new). Nobody makes them anymore. I was never tempted but my cassette guy sells tons of R-to-Rs for like $200-$300 fully restored, but they are more run of the mill Sony and not high end. And they sell fast!
    Thanks again and cheers bro

  • Oroborous
    Joined:
    First half of GDM soundtrack

    Ist show. The more surface area (wider the tape), and/or the faster the recording speed, the higher the resolution. And yes R2R can most certainly sound best. (Like anything though, if done well)
    The problem is a good one is very expensive, they’re as hard to keep maintained etc as a TT, and good linage quality tapes are rare and expensive, oh, and more a pain to “flip” than even a record…but they can sound amazing!

    Remember, many CDs AND most vinyl are sourced from (hopefully) master R2R tapes! A purist with the gear and ears might argue that direct to (vinyl) disc recording is the ultimate…but good luck lol
    One of the main reasons digital still gets such a bad rap is twofold
    1- the conversion used originally, and lack of attention to disparity’s between different DACs in the chain. Conversion has come a loonnggg way baby! AND…
    2- a significant number of the CDs first produced to meet the huge demand were not sourced from the master tapes, and lineage and source quality were often a joke! Caveat emptor: not all CDs are created alike!…or Blu-ray’s, or DVDs, or Vinyl etc Like drugs boys and girls, know your sources!

  • 1stshow70878
    Joined:
    4-11-78

    5th show in the box.
    OK, now were getting there.
    Great 1st set.
    2nd set list looks good too.
    Moving right along...
    Cheers

    Random ?s for the tapers and the knowledgeable. Were these original tapes running at 7.5 ips on reel to reels and were they done with any Dolby or whatever? And do you audience tapers use any noise reduction? Been talking to an analog guy who says with reel to reel running fast you get superior saturation and the best analog sound of all, which to his ear beats CDs and even vinyl, and Dolby is unnecessary for good reel to reel recordings.

  • uncle_tripel
    Joined:
    "Don't...

    climb on the fence, you idiot"

    august 6th 1974

    now that's much better, the sound is less polished or over-dubbed...or whatever...

    support your local library,
    my better half's employer also

    Peace for All!
    uncle_tripel

    PS - Hey Bobby, party like it's 1984, Happy B-day!

  • Colin Gould
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    Right now

    This is a little niche for this forum since I’m streaming it on BBC iplayer so it’s probably only accessible in the UK,
    John Martyn - Live at Reading University 1978
    This is an episode of ‘Rock Goes to College’. We saw him several times 78 -79 and his solo concerts were always excellent. It’s available for the next 27 days and is highly recommended. For those who can’t access it I recommend his album ‘One World’ which was his current album when this concert was recorded.
    Edit: To be honest I’d recommend any of his albums really

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New year, new update. Tell us of your musical adventures in real time!
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In reply to by Oroborous

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from Live In Gdansk

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Jefferson Airplane. Jerry plays on it. I'd forgotten how good this was

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8/21 was another enjoyable show with another fun set list etc.

Ok, now onto 8/23, if I finish it’ll be another DHB, and will get me complete for 1980 up to the Warfield run.
It’s been fun/interesting, but ready to move on, just:
“ I dunno what I’m going for, but I’m gonna go for it for sure!”
Saving last of 69, 89, for end of year, rest of 84 for October, so maybe back to fall 94? Ah well, hang it up and see what tomorrow brings…

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In reply to by Oroborous

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Spinning now.
Sounds pretty good except my pressing has various snaps, crackles, and pops.

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11 years 3 months

In reply to by proudfoot

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Autzen Stadium

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...a little grace...1987-09-23 spectrum in phila with a happy grinning mr. garcia doin' a jammin' version "La Bamba"

y arriba, y arriba
por ti sere, por ti sere, por ti sere

Peace for All!
uncle_tripel

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On a hot streak of downloads.

These guys put out some great shit, on the archive if interested.

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17 years 5 months

In reply to by Dennis

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Literally, out for morning walk, down by the creek, as the winds are playing the willows : )

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In reply to by Oroborous

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Very nice - some favorite music is wind in trees - like a big old ponderosa or cottonwood.

Right now here in bluecrow land its the 8/3/69 Dark Star at the Family Dog with mystery guest musicians. Not sure how this escaped my attention so long.

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80 has been fun, but I’m so ahead of shed u ual, and PF keeps talkin bout fall 90, another crater to fill, so, well, just gotta poke around ; )

8/3/69: is that the one with the Sax and fiddle?
Yeah, that DS is muy bien! Good show/Sheet Mon!

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In reply to by Oroborous

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Onward!
Last one was hot, how will this one compare?
(Nice Usborne matrixes)

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11 years 3 months

In reply to by Oroborous

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Baltimore Civic Center

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In reply to by TN John

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Yeah Oro, that one with the sax and electric violin! Listened from Dark Star through end of show. First time. Right in the sweet spot and just exactly perfect. The 2 mystery guests are excellent and fully integrated in The One. Loved it. Time and again just slack jawed at how cool this is.

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Saw the date coming up and I've been listening to an old fav, 8/21/72 Berkeley Community Theater.

I figured I'd get through it yesterday at work but things were unexpectedly busy so I only got a few songs into set I. Had to keep going today. Nice problem to have.

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Gonna do 9 7 90 really soon

I havent heard Europe 90 except for 11 1 90 set 2 a long time ago on cassette and a soso 10 31 90 cassette set 2...i think there is a Scarlet Fire. I can still hear the opening percussion to VOTC from 11 1 in my mind

Looking forward to hearing that tour

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In reply to by TN John

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Oakland Auditorium

Was chatting with Gary Farseer last weekend on the greatness of this show. I figured I'd give it another listen today on my quarterly trip to the heart failure clinic.

Also, I scored a brand new Sunshine box set which is out for delivery today. Shroom Saturday is looking like it will be great tomorrow!

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In reply to by TN John

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Enjoy that HCS Box TN John. It is spectacular! Sound quality is A+. 6/10 might be one of my favorite shows. Can't get enough of that one.

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Onward!

Can’t believe I didn’t go to these Philly shows, the rectum was sorta a go to for us. Somehow saw more shows there then any other venue.
Guessing between relatively new job and still tying to deal with the debt accrued by taking the “20 year old” to Cali shows in June, and not getting paid back a nickel!. I’m sure I had to cover most of Richfield too lol
…it’s a real shame they gotta cost so much” lol.
Aaaa, but looking back, it was worth every dollar…
Se la vie!

E90: me neither PF. I have part of 11/01 on my server, but that’s all I’ve heard, yet!

EDIT: TN with the big score, and it ain’t even hockey season yet ; )
And itsssssss fry yea! Too soon for one of those Oktoberfest DV?

OBEAH: love it, gonna moa some veggies, just as soon as I get back from the heart attack machine! When the going gets weird…

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In reply to by Oroborous

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9/12: good, but I felt like it was a bit off the first two shows?

Fun set list, and most certainly some really high moments (like the whole D/S/cabin boy/dew), but perhaps like some of fall 89, going along good then occasionally some muffed execution. So good but maybe not RJ? I’ll definitely have to check these out again! But, now onto 9/14/90, the big apple, don’t mind the maggots, sha Doo bie…

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Deer Creek

Sunshine box came today. Gonna try to get a couple of shows ripped tonight for my cosmic adventure tomorrow.

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9 years 1 month

In reply to by TN John

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Listened to it in the car this week.

Note that it’s in 30Trips.

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In reply to by TN John

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Check your CD’s for glue.

The glue can be removed with rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip.
Once cleaned don’t put the CD’s back in the cardboard holders.

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In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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Anniversary listen.

It’s CD3 of the expanded Two From The Vault.

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In reply to by icecrmcnkd

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The Octoberfest will be flowing tonight!
You would think they would have to let us know soon about this year's MUATM.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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TNJ - congrats on obtaining that great box set. Enjoy! Not sure you listened in on the cd quality issues BITD - some of those boxes, mine included, had a whole lot of problems, especially glue on the playing surface. Like ConeKid said, rubbing alcohol (70%) - also antiseptic isopropyl alcohol (91%) - will remove that stuff. Hopefully your box is one of the clean ones.

As luck and synchronicity would have it, in just last few days I was finally able to successfully rip every disc to my HD - initially 6 or so had skips (always in key jams). Had never had that issue ripping any cd before with that external drive and feel it had to do with the cds on some basic level. An unrelated software issue that I finally was able to resolve had me revisit ripping those discs with a different external drive and to my great delight and surprise they all seemed to rip clean and I've been dancing back and forth between the 5 shows listening to sections here and there, some that had problems to verify they're good now and some just cause I want to hear them. HCS was a dream box for me - I think I called for it at least a year before it was announced (not that I ever expected it to happen) - so to get a box with a lot of quality issues was "sort of" a real big problem. Along with glue and scratches, none of the discs were properly/fully inserted in their slot and so they all were in a flexed position and I wondered if the ripping issue was related to that. Quite frustrated, I transferred them all to jewel cases and basically they went untouched for almost a year until these last few days. And now all is better.

Currently playing 5/20/73 Santa Barbara, the Here Comes Sunshine from Disc 2.

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In reply to by bluecrow

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Almost at the end

Fantastic show

Even though Grumpy Grumpkins here isn't thrilled that Throwing Stones bubbles up

The music prior to that is really good

Edit:
Beautiful run of shows

I imagine it must have cathartic to play so well after the useless tragedy of Brent dying

God Bless the Grateful Dead

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In reply to by proudfoot

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Hey BC, I also have these CDs in jewel cases as the slip cases are not the best.

Let's hope the new box has better cases. I always liked the cases in both Spring 90 box sets and the PNW box.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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Iowa State Fairgrounds

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Most of my discs weren't even fully inserted into the sleeves. Got the first 2 shows ripped, and Casey Jones back where it belongs on the first show.

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17 years 5 months

In reply to by TN John

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8/24/68 Two from the vault
8/24/19 TTB Layla (later on)

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In reply to by Deadicated

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14 was sweet, so onto 15

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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a best of Joy Division

Absolutely tremendous band

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4 years 3 months

In reply to by proudfoot

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Me and Mrs. Grumpkins are going to a Santana and Counting Crows show

Saw Santana open for GD in 88 and 91

Tonight makes a hat trick

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McFarlin Auditorium, SMU

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In reply to by TN John

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A real epic. With these vinyl box sets I like to just play 2 sides at a time, so it takes a day or so to listen to the whole show. The L.P. version features a run through Seastones, and the next track they play is El Paso. I can't think of any other band that would play two pieces of music so different from each other one after the other in concert.

It would have been interesting if they had incorporated Seastones type music within some of their jams. It always seems to sit outside the shows in which it was played. A first set. Then an electronic blizzard. Then normal service is resumed when the second set starts. It would have been very interesting if they had included some of these sounds in Dark Star, for example.
The closest they got to it may have been Unbroken Chain on Mars Hotel.

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In reply to by DeadVikes

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6/8/77 :)

Man I should go for 8/23/68 myself...

It looks like TN is just ripping right through a who's who of official releases. It would be too dangerous to stop now....

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Just kicking off Dave's 24, 8/25/72

Last night of a legendary four-night stand at the BCT, and it's the show before Veneta... the setlist doesn't jump off the page at you, but 8/21 and 8/24 more than sufficed to scratch that itch, and besides you know this one's going to be lovely from the very opening notes. Entire band just playing well and having fun.

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In reply to by Obeah

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Ready for 8-24-72 to be released Dave.
Or make it a BCT mini Box.

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In reply to by Oroborous

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I love this release (DaP 24). Been awhile and it sounds great. The Other One is fire. Jerry goofing with Professor Bob before El Paso after Bob warbles (a faint) Frozen Logger and tries to start a history lesson - "This ain't Kentucky man, it's Berkeley!" Followed shortly by "He had roses for lunch" which may be my favorite line of banter ever. Release the rest of the run (or even include this show with plangent!) and throw in 8/14 and 15 from the year before for a sweet BCT box.

9/16/90 - I (think) I got this on tape muy pronto BITD or maybe heard it on the GDH. Definitely remember listening with big ears to the Set II, with the space jams out of He's Gone and sandwiching SOTM just huge. Maybe the first post-Brent stuff I heard and it was way deep. I'm pretty sure I bought this as DiP 9 but when I looked for it in the collection last year (cause I wanted to revisit it) it was MIA.

Nassau

My son installed a new hard drive and a new dvd/cd writer in this pc yesterday while I was at work. This baby flies now!

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...from Good Time People...The Grateful Dead"
1972-08-24 Berkeley Community Theatre
luv these '72 Bird Song's, this one's the 20th live version

Peace for All!
uncle_tripel

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DiP 25 New Haven.
Raucous Jack Straw to start with Jerry doing that '78 "arrgh" growling thing in there. Within a very short time before the second song Bobby is already taunting him with a "We are all waiting patiently for Jerry to get his act together and decide what he's going to do." To which Jerry can be easily heard off mike saying "Cut all your crap asshole." Then they do They Love Each Other. Do they?
Cheers
The sound quality on this is superb!

It might mean he had doses for lunch ! I always seem to notice Bob Weirs playing more in 1972 shows than from any other year. Whether he was higher in the mix then I know not. Exceptional guitar playing - that I do know. Nobody else played like that.
I must say, I am very impressed with the way people zip through shows on here.

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Listening to Archives Vol 3 to prepare for Vol 4 next month. Before that I played my favourite’Pink Floyd’ album, The Madcap Laughs by Syd Barrett.